Cong demands arrest of NCP workers involved in attack on Ketkar

Mumbai, Jun 11 (UNI) The Congress in Maharashtra today demanded that Vinayak Mete, chief of Shiv Sangram outfit and former NCP MLA, and his colleague be booked immediately for their alleged involvement in the attack on the residence of Marathi daily Loksatta's editor Kumar Ketkar at Thane, near here, last week.

Addressing a news conference, the party spokesperson Hussain Dalwai alleged that police have yet not taken any action against them despite they being very much available at their addresses and are visiting the NCP office every now and then.

Mr Dalwai also alleged that the state Home portfolio is headed by a NCP leader and therefore, the police are dancing to the tune of the party.

The NCP activists were also involved in yesterday's attack on the parents of Shiv Sena MLA Yogesh Patil at Bhiwandi in Thane district and in that case also, police have not taken proper action, he further alleged.

It may be recalled that Bombay High Court had yesterday refused to grant anticipatory bail to Mete and his colleague Tanaji Shinde.

On June 6, Mr Ketkar's house was attacked allegedly by some 70 Shiv Sangram activists for his editorial in the newspaper criticising the Congress-NCP government's proposal to install a huge statue of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji in the Arabian Sea. The activists pelted stones and damaged window panes of Mr Ketkar's house after their attempt to ransack it was unsuccessful.

In the editorial, Mr Ketkar had written that Maharashtra government was trying to gain political mileage by misusing the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

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